So … whadya think? Are the Democrats going to commit political suicide or not? Or in the words of the link, “I’m skeptical. I think it is more likely is that this thing passes, and fails spectacularly. There are too many moving parts, and if any of them breaks, the whole thing rapidly starts to spin out of control and eat a gigantic hole in the deficit.” … and subsequently doom them politically.

7 comments

It’s not just “about the kids”, in the post-modern political climate regulation attempts to replace judgement.

I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody who thinks that “zero tolerance” policies are a good idea or that grandmas or anybody really should be arrested for purchasing cold medicine. Please don’t conflate those ideas with “regulation,” which is extremely important in many areas.

LDS, a painting and Mr Skousen.

The blogger appears to be assuming that everybody has to agree with him and you that Mormons are not Christians. That’s odd.

Mr Obama emulating the worst tendencies of the Nixon admin. Hmm.

Overheated rhetoric much?!? Holy crap, all the guy did is told the truth about Fox News and refused to go on it. Can you point to anything he said about FOX that is untrue? And the idea that CNN et all are just mirror images on the left is ridiculous.

And the idea that CNN et all are just mirror images on the left is ridiculous.

Hmm, ridiculous or not, it seems likely … read Goldman’s Bias.

I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody who thinks that “zero tolerance” policies are a good idea

I see. How did those laws get past if nobody thinks they are a good idea, or is this the Ms Kael thing, i.e., “I don’t know how Reagan could have won, I don’t know anybody who voted for him?” Which side of the aisle do you think is putting forth zero tolerance laws, right or left?

I see. How did those laws get past if nobody thinks they are a good idea,

Ahh, that’s the thing. They aren’t laws. They’re policies, set by authoritarians.

Which side of the aisle do you think is putting forth zero tolerance laws, right or left?

If we’re talking about schools, then left, but only because the left is so overrepresented there. But they’re of the authoritarian left (as would be expected for people creating policies.) The issue is the authoritarianism, not the leftism. The right gave us the “zero-tolerance” laws like three-strikes, etc.

JA,
The real agenda FOX is pressing is making money … and since CNN,MSNBC, and the like have self-branded as liberal (and not as unbiased) that leaves a clear option for FOX to capture half of the audience. And by golly they did it. As soon as they start losing market share to an unbiased station/news program they’ll change their tune.

Ahh, that’s the thing. They aren’t laws. They’re policies, set by authoritarians.

JA,
I could also point out that the problem isn’t mine and usage the term Christian it’s yours. The vernacular term Christian means the group of Nicene Christian cults within the more general category of Christian cults. It’s not odd, it’s the common usage.

Actually branding as liberal (or conservative) does not make one biased. Bias is disrespecting the truth either through ommission or comission. Fox manages to be biased in both manners in a way that CNN or even MSNBC never even approaches. That doesn’t necessarily make Fox bad, the NY Post, for example, is happy to be be NYC’s right wing tabloid paper.

More to the point:

Mr Obama emulating the worst tendencies of the Nixon admin. Hmm

The ‘tendencies’ being referenced is an ‘enemies list’. If only that was the worst that Nixon did….rampant law breaking, threatening free speech, and so on show up far higher on my list than just keeping a list of people who don’t like you.

But even more funny is that there is NO ENEMIES LIST cited by the blogger. Obama criticizes Fox News and that gets trumpted into the idea that Obama must be keeping an enemies list with Fox on top. A nice example of the ‘imaginary Obama effect’ as depicted in this cartoon:

Boonton,
I missed my flight from PHA due to a 90 minute traffic delay and got to sit in the airport on standby for 4 hours. In that time, I had some casual observation by osmosis of the CNN reports that were broadcast at the gate (no sound) and I was reading and monitoring my standby status. I’d say it was pretty clear that CNN disrespects the truth via omission/commission in their liberal branding quite clearly. I don’t watch FOX/News as I don’t get cable and don’t watch 24 hours new channels when travelling. You claim that Fox manages to do this in a way that is “not even approached” by the others. Yet JA doesn’t seem even observe that CNN is “disrespecting the truth” on a regular casual basis. Now, it is likely that liberals are less aware of liberal leaning truth mangling and conservatives the other way.

On the other hand, I think a lot of people confuse commentary programs, Beck, Hannity and the left equivalents as an outlet which should be measured for bias. That I think is a mistake.

As for Mr Obama declining to interview on Fox … one site noted that liberals lambasted Mr Cheney for interviewing on Fox and not on the others. Those liberals now defending Obama’s choice in this matter are hypocrites. Those conservatives who defended Cheney likewise face that charge. I’ll point out that I have offered no opinion on this matter then or now … I’m just offering links for comment in this case here.